Aqueous aluminum ion batteries, hybrid battery-capacitors, compositions of said batteries and battery-capacitors, and associated methods of manufacture and use

Abstract

Described herein is an aqueous aluminum ion battery featuring an aluminum or aluminum alloy/composite anode, an aqueous electrolyte, and a manganese oxide, aluminosilicate or polymer-based cathode. The battery operates via an electrochemical reaction that entails an actual transport of aluminum ions between the anode and cathode. The compositions and structures described herein allow the aqueous aluminum ion battery described herein to achieve: (1) improved charge storage capacity; (2) improved gravimetric and/or volumetric energy density; (3) increased rate capability and power density (ability to charge and discharge in shorter times); (4) increased cycle life; (5) increased mechanical strength of the electrode; (6) improved electrochemical stability of the electrodes; (7) increased electrical conductivity of the electrodes, and (8) improved ion diffusion kinetics in the electrodes as well as the electrolyte.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An anode for an aluminum-ion battery, the anode comprising:
 one or more structures; and 
 a plurality of oxide structures protruding from the one or more structures, wherein each of the one or more structures comprises one or more aluminum-containing members selected from the group consisting of aluminum, an aluminum alloy, and an aluminum composite, wherein the anode is from 0.001 wt. % to 100 wt. % aluminum. 
 
     
     
       2. The anode of  claim 1 , wherein the anode comprises a surface layer comprising one or more of aluminum, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, lithium, manganese, magnesium, and carbon. 
     
     
       3. The anode of  claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more structures comprises an aluminum alloy or mixture that comprises one or more non-aluminum members selected from the group consisting of sodium, lithium, calcium, potassium, magnesium, zirconium, lead, bismuth, titanium, vanadium, tin, copper, silver, gold, platinum, mercury, scandium, sulfur, silicon, iron, silicon, nickel, manganese, chromium, cerium, germanium, gallium, thallium, hafnium, indium, rhodium, ruthenium, molybdenum, palladium, strontium, yttrium, barium, cadmium, iridium, tantalum, cobalt, tellurium, antimony, arsenic, tungsten, and selenium. 
     
     
       4. The anode of  claim 1 , comprising a film comprising the one or more structures, wherein each of the one or more structures is a particle. 
     
     
       5. The anode of  claim 4 , wherein the film further comprises a polymer binder in physical contact with the plurality of particles, wherein the polymer binder is selected from the group consisting of carboxymethyl cellulose, styrene butadiene rubber, polyvinyl alcohol, polypropylene, and polytetrafluoroethylene. 
     
     
       6. The anode of  claim 1 , wherein the film further comprises one or more conductive carbon additives. 
     
     
       7. The anode of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more structures comprises a thin film, the thin film having a thickness in a range from 1 nm to 1 mm. 
     
     
       8. The anode of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more structures comprises a foil having a polished surface. 
     
     
       9. The anode of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more structures comprises a porous structure. 
     
     
       10. The anode of  claim 1 , further comprising a non-native transitional aluminum oxide layer. 
     
     
       11. The anode of  claim 10 , wherein the non-native transitional aluminum oxide layer has thickness within at least one of the following ranges:
 (i) no less than 1 nm; 
 (ii) from 1 nm to 10 nm; 
 (iii) from 5 nm to 20 nm; 
 (iv) from 20 nm to 50 nm; 
 (v) from 50 nm to 250 nm; 
 (vi) from 100 nm to 500 nm; 
 (vii) from 500 nm to 1 micrometer; and 
 (viii) from 1 micrometer to 10 micrometers. 
 
     
     
       12. The anode of  claim 1 , comprising a plurality of oxide films, wherein each of the plurality of oxide films comprises a different oxide. 
     
     
       13. The anode of  claim 1 , comprising a plurality of oxide layers of the same or different type. 
     
     
       14. The anode of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of oxide structures are a plurality of oxide pillars. 
     
     
       15. The anode of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of oxide pillars are porous. 
     
     
       16. The anode of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of oxide pillars comprise one or more of fibers, nanotubes, and nanocolumns. 
     
     
       17. The anode of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of oxide pillars are formed by physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, atomic layer deposition, hydrothermal reaction, electrochemical reaction, electrochemical deposition, or thermal reaction. 
     
     
       18. The anode of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of oxide pillars are formed by depositing a film and etching the film, wherein the etching comprises plasma etching, wet chemical etching, reactive ion etching, or buffer oxide etching. 
     
     
       19. The anode of  claim 1 , further comprising a non-oxide film disposed on the one or more structures. 
     
     
       20. The anode of  claim 19 , wherein the non-oxide film comprises one or more non-oxide members selected from the group consisting of a sulfide of an element, a sulfate of the element, a nitride of the element, a nitrate of the element, a phosphide of the element, a phosphate of the element, and a halide of the element,
 wherein the element is selected from the group consisting of zirconium, tungsten, indium, chromium, cobalt, magnesium, iron, nickel, vanadium, titanium, zinc, manganese, iron, tin, silicon, sulfur, copper, hafnium and cobalt. 
 
     
     
       21. The anode of  claim 19 , wherein the non-oxide film is a thin film. 
     
     
       22. The anode of  claim 19 , wherein the non-oxide film is a coating comprising a plurality of non-oxide particles. 
     
     
       23. The anode of  claim 1 , comprising a polymer layer disposed on the one or more structures. 
     
     
       24. The anode of  claim 23 , wherein the polymer layer comprises one or more members selected from the group consisting of: parylene, polyvinyl alcohol, alginic acid, PTFE, polyethylene oxide, cellulose (and its derivatives), polysulfone (PES), a polymer of one or more acrylates, alginate, quinone, hydroquinone, quinolone, hydroxyquinoline, and alizarin. 
     
     
       25. The anode of  claim 1 , further comprising an oxide film disposed on the one or more structures. 
     
     
       26. The anode of  claim 25 , wherein the oxide film is a thin film. 
     
     
       27. The anode of  claim 25 , wherein the oxide film is a coating comprising a plurality of oxide particles. 
     
     
       28. The anode of  claim 27 , wherein the oxide film further comprises a polymer binder selected from the group consisting of carboxymethyl cellulose, styrene butadiene, polyvinyl alcohol, polypropylene, and polytetrafluorethylene. 
     
     
       29. The anode of  claim 27 , wherein the oxide film further comprises one or more conductive carbon additives.